California voters will decide whether to ban single-use plastics or polystyrene food container. It’s heating into a fight that may line industry lobbyists hinter a bill they once thought repugnant but hope will annul the ballot measure.
The California Recycling and Plastic Pollution Reduction LawIf approved by voters, the law would require that all single use plastic packaging and foodware (such as disposable spoons/forks) be recyclable, reuseable, refillable, compostable or compostable. It would also mandate that single-use plastic production be reduced by a quarter both by 2030, according to Los Angeles Times reporter Susanne Rust.
After years of watching legislation with similar goals fail, ballot measure proponents decided that they would take it to the voters. Lobbyists who have fought against legislation now join forces to craft a bill to convince those behind it to drop it before the vote.
The Nature ConservancyPlastics make up 11 million tonnes of plastics each year, which makes it easy for them to get into the ocean. According to the group, plastic is being eaten and breathed in California every day.
Its Stand Up to Plastic campaign reveals that half of the plastic currently produced is single-use.
The Oceana Plastic Pollution SurveyCalifornia’s registered voters discovered that 58% are very concerned by plastic pollution and its effects on the environment and oceans. 34% are somewhat worried. A majority of California’s registered voters (64%) expressed concern about single-use plastics, while 28% expressed concern. The overwhelming majority of respondents said they want to be sure that the products they purchase don’t harm ocean animals.
Rust found that many businesses and trade associations that make or distribute single-use products are opposed to the ballot initiative.
CalRecycle has full authority to tax recyclable products such as glass and cardboard according to the law’s structure, Michael Bustamante of the No on Plastics Tax campaign said to the LA Times. The group produced a list with 51 items that would be subjected to the fee, which is almost a penny per item.
If the California legislature passes a law that is approved by them by June 30, those who supported the initiative could withdraw it. Because they lobbied against the bill twice, opponents now back a bill that has been defeated twice. Some are now working with legislators to create a version that both sides could accept.
Californians are not the only ones concerned about the impact of plastic.
The Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act before Congress sets requirements and incentives to decrease how much plastic is produced and bolsters efforts to collect, recycle, or compost products and materials. The producers of the products would have to bear some of these costs, including single-use products and plastic packaging.
The Seattle TimesRecently, it was reported Only 9% of all plastics ever produced were recycled. has been recycled. It is found in our rivers, oceans, and bodies. Plastic breaks down into smaller pieces and becomes invisible to the naked eyes as microplastics or nanoplastics. Salmon is a major species in the Salish Sea. Many aquatic life mistake plastic for phytoplankton, and they eat it. These salmon are enjoyed by our resident orcas and eagles as well as us. A recent Study by the University of Newcastle, Australia, estimates the average person may ingest the equivalent of a credit cards worth of microplastic particles every week.
The article also highlighted inequality in the damage caused. Plastic pollution is most damaging to communities of color and those with low incomes.
But not everyone sees benefit-harm balance in the same way. In a guest editorial, the Examiner-EnterpriseEarly April, Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma called this bill radical legislation. He said it would do unprecedented harm to consumer choice and would stifle American businesses’ innovation in recycling technology.